Briefing.com uses cookies to store information on your computer that is essential to making the site work and to customizing the user experience. By using the site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Read our cookie policy to learn more and how to withdraw your consent.

You must subscribe to access archives older than one year.

Take a free trial of
Briefing In Play® now.

TERMS OF USE

The Briefing.com RSS (really simple syndication) service
is a method by which we offer story headline feeds in XML format
to readers of the Briefing.com web site who use RSS aggregators.
By using Briefing.com’s RSS service you agree to be bound by
these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the terms and conditions
contained in these Terms of Use, we do not consent to provide
you with an RSS feed and you should not make use of Briefing.com’s
RSS service. The use of the RSS service is also subject to the
terms and conditions of the
Briefing.com Reader Agreement which governs the use
of Briefing.com's entire web site (www.briefing.com)
including all information services. These Terms of Use and the
Briefing.com Reader Agreement may be changed by Briefing.com
at any time without notice.

Use of RSS Feeds:
The Briefing.com RSS service is provided free of charge for
use by individuals, as long as the feeds are used for such individual’s
personal, non-commercial use. Any other uses, including without
limitation the incorporation of advertising into or the placement
of advertising associated with or targeted towards the RSS Content,
are strictly prohibited. You are required to use the RSS feeds
as provided by Briefing.com and you may not edit or modify the
text, content or links supplied by Briefing.com. To acquire
more extensive licensing rights to Briefing.com content please
review this page.

Link to Content Pages:
The RSS service may be used only with those platforms from which
a functional link is made available that, when accessed, takes
the viewer directly to the display of the full article on the
Briefing.com web site. You may not display the RSS content in
a manner that does not permit successful linking to, redirection
to or delivery of the applicable Briefing.com web site page.
You may not insert any intermediate page, “splash” page or any
other content between the RSS link and the applicable Briefing.com
web site page.

Ownership/Attribution:
Briefing.com retains all ownership and other rights in the RSS
content, and any and all Briefing.com logos and trademarks used
in connection with the RSS service. You are required to provide
appropriate attribution to the Briefing.com web site in connection
with your use of the RSS feeds. If you provide this attribution
using a graphic we require you to use the Briefing.com web site
logo that we have incorporated into the Briefing.com RSS feed.

Right to Discontinue Feeds:
Briefing.com reserves the right to discontinue providing any
or all of the RSS feeds at any time and to require you to cease
displaying, distributing or otherwise using any or all of the
RSS feeds for any reason including, without limitation, your
violation of any provision of these Terms of Use or the terms
and conditions of the Briefing.com Reader Agreement. Briefing.com
assumes no liability for any of your activities in connection
with the RSS feeds or for your use of the RSS feeds in connection
with your web site.

Helen of Troy (HELE 117.10, -15.88, -11.94%) opened lower by 7% today,
as the company's mixed guidance overshadows better than expected earnings
delivered before the open this morning.

The owner of a portfolio of consumer staples brands, including
OXO, Braun, Honeywell Home, PUR, Vicks, and Revlon, among others, reported
above-consensus third quarter earnings of $2.40 per share on a 2.4% year/year
increase in revenue to $431.1 mln, which was also ahead of expectations.

The company lowered the top end of its revenue guidance for
fiscal 2019 by $10 mln due to an expected unfavorable impact from pricing
actions that have not been resolved with a key customer and slowing growth in
eCommerce sales in China. The company expects that revenue for fiscal 2019 will
be between $1.535 bln and $1.55 bln, which is just shy of market expectations.
The lowered revenue guidance did not stop the company from increasing its
earnings guidance, due in part to a lowered share count resulting from
buybacks. The company expects fiscal 2019 earnings between $7.70 and $7.95, up
from previous guidance for earnings between $7.65 and $7.90.

Returning to third quarter results, gross margin weakened by
ten basis points to 42.2% due to less favorable product mix and the impact of
tariffs on imports from China. Operating income decreased to $70.6 mln from
$77.6 mln one year ago. Contributing to the decrease were higher advertising
expenses, higher trade tariffs, higher freight expenses, and higher share-based
compensation expenses.

Looking at the segment breakdown, Houseware net sales grew
11.4% to $142.94 mln. The increase was fueled by growth in online sales and in sales
at physical stores but was partially offset by lower club channel sales.
Adjusted segment operating margin weakened to 22.8% from 24.7%.

Beauty net sales fell 3.0% to $100.28 mln due to lower sales
at stores, a decline in the personal care group, and the discontinuation of
certain brands and products. Adjusted segment operating margin improved to
13.5% from 13.3%.